MISSOURI VOTER TURNOUT PREDICTED AT 2 MILLION

Most people feel it's their patriotic duty to stand for the flag at a parade or to stand up for the national anthem at a baseball game, but then won't bother to vote. It's an interesting irony, says Jim Grebing, communications director for Secretary of State Rebecca Cook.

Statewide, only about 2 million voters are expected to go to the polls on Tuesday, about half the population old enough to vote. Of a record number of 3.34 million registered voters, this represents roughly 62 percent.

"We certainly hope that it will be higher than that," Grebing says.

Normally, presidential election years tend to have a higher voter turnout. The record was set in 1992, when 2.4 million voters cast their ballots in Missouri. Grebing attributes this high turnout to the Ross Perot factor, to the competitive races for five statewide offices with no incumbents and to a U.S. Senate race. But the numbers in this presidential election year are not likely to go that high.

The record number of registered voters is in part due to the 1993 Motor Voter, which allows voters to register at license bureaus and other state offices. The convenience of registering increases the overall number of registered voters but not necessarily the percentage of those who vote.

~Projections of voter turnout are derived from consulting with county clerks around the state. Absentee ballots tend to be a good indication of voter turnout.

Cape Girardeau County has 41,280 registered voters, also an all-time high. In presidential elections since 1980, Cape County has had a 78 to 81 percent voter turnout. When there were 36,000 registered voters, as many as 26,000 of them voted in past elections.

"I think our turnout (in actual numbers) will be more than usual," said Rodney Miller, county clerk.

Miller said the 8th District congressional race between two non-incumbents could boost voter turnout in the county.

Rita Milam, county clerk in Scott County, predicts an estimated 16,000 voters will turn out. She bases this figure on the 1992 election, which was also drew about 16,000 voters. With the increase in the number of registered voters this year to 24,504, voter turnout should be around 65 percent, she says.

Bollinger County, with 8,000 registered voters, expects a 55 to 60 percent turnout, according to Diane Holzum, county clerk. She said a fire tax levy in Sedgewickville might bring out more voters in that part of the county.

A county-wide half-cent sales tax on a multi-purpose building might bring a few more people out to the polls, said Randy Taylor, county clerk in Perry County.

He expects 7,500 people to cast their ballots on election day, just under 75 percent of the 10,341 registered voters. He attributes the increase in the number of registered voters to the Motor Voter law.